Zhangir-Kerey Khan

Jäñgır-Kerei Han (, ; 1801 – ) was the penultimate Khan of the Bukey Horde, ruling from 1823 to 1845, and the final khan to be formally appointed. During his rule, he sought to establish the Horde as a modern state based on the model of the Russian Empire, and enacted a number of reforms. He remains popularly known for his efforts to bring formal education to the Horde, but is controversial for his promotion of feudalism over nomadism, leading to in 1836. In addition to his reign, he also worked as a pathologist, studying anthrax extensively, and an anthropologist, recording Kazakh national epics and weaponry.

Early life Jañgir-Kerei Khan was born in 1801 to , Khan of the Bukey Horde. He came from the Töre clan, a clan of direct descendants of Genghis Khan in the line of Jochi. From a young age, he displayed an interest in science, and was sent to live with , governor of Astrakhan Governorate. Living with Andreyevsky, Jañgir-Kerei was educated in politics, administration, and other subjects. In addition to his native Kazakh, he was fluent in Russian, Persian, and Arabic. He additionally held fair knowledge of German and wrote in Chagatai. He realised the importance of education at a young age, expressing a desire to open a school in the Bukey Horde. At the time of Bökei's death, Jañgir-Kerei Khan was only 14 years old.

Reign On 22 June 1823, Jañgir-Kerei Khan was appointed as Khan by Tsar Alexander I, though his reign only actually began a year later with a formal ceremony conducted in Uralsk. Zhangir Khan made a grand tour of Europe.

In 1840, he was appointed to the rank of major general within the Imperial Russian Army. Though the capital was originally small, it later began to expand greatly following the 1832 trade fair, and was popularly referred to as the "Petersburg of the Steppe".

In an effort to encourage the settlement of his citizens and the end of nomadism, the khan undertook two actions. The first was enforcing requested taxes on Kazakh nomads whose livestock grazed in neighbouring lands owned by the Bagrationi, Yusupov, and families, in return for receiving a portion of the payments himself.

In addition to his donation of manuscripts and pathological work, the khan was a strong supporter of Kazakh anthropology. He wrote down Kazakh national epics and, with the cooperation of his family and other Borjigin relatives, secured enough ancient Mongol weaponry, as well as armour, firearms, and hunting equipment for the establishment of a museum known as "the Armoury" in Khan Ordasy. The House of Romanov additionally donated some of their sabres which had been granted by Kazakh rulers. It is the first museum known to have been established in modern-day Kazakhstan, and its value between the weaponry, armour, and hunting equipment was valued at 8,015.75 rubles by the following the khan's death. The has been named after Jañgir-Kerei Khan since May 2003.